The present invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly to a bulk food dispenser.
The food industry merchandizes numerous types of food in bulk form. At present, food products such as flour, beans, rice, pasta, spices, nuts, cake mixes and others are available in bulk form. Customers perceive bulk foods as being fresher and healthier than equivalent packaged foods. Additionally, cost savings to the consumer and the consumer's ability to buy the exact amount needed are reasons for merchandizing food in bulk form.
In the past, buyers at retail supermarkets have merely poured from vats or scooped out from bins the amounts desired. However, the greatest concern about bulk selling is its cleanliness and the threat of human tampering. Such concerns have prompted various governmental agencies to begin regulating the sale of food in open containers.
Various dispensers of bulk foods are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,751,535 shows a coffee dispenser and U.S. Pat. No. 748,059 shows a feed regulator for a dispenser. Neither of these dispensers, however, are tamper-proof, and the outlet or discharge of both may easily become jammed.